Oct. 31, 2008

Bat Crisis Update

A new report this week from researchers hunting for the cause of a mysterious bat die-off indicates that a fungus may hold the key to solving the mystery. Writing in the journal Science, researchers report that they have identified a whitish fungus that is associated with the bat die-offs and is the source of the name 'White-Nose Syndrome' attached to the outbreak, which has stricken communities of bats in the Northeast. Researchers report seeing a 75 percent decline in bat populations among many northeastern species -- with bat populations at certain hibernation cites declining by 80 to 97 percent. We'll talk with one of the researchers about the die-offs, the new research on the fungus, and possible causes of the epidemic.